After litchi season, jackfruits, another nutritious and delicious fruit, are now flooding the local markets in Ishwardi upazila of Pabna. In particular, the Joynagar Boardghor under Salimpur Union in the upazila has become a big place for wholesale jackfruit buyers and sellers. Jackfruit is being bought there and sold every day from morning till evening.
Wholesalers are buying hundreds of jackfruits, loading them on trucks and taking them to their respective areas for sale. Apart from the Boardghor, a lot of jackfruits are being bought and sold every day in the markets of Aotapara, Shimultala, Baroichara and Dashuria of the Upazila. Wholesalers from different parts of the country, including Dhaka, Khulna, Jashore, Barishal, Patuakhali, Sylhet and Kuakata, come to this Joynagar Boardghor to buy jackfruits.
According to the office of Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer, there are a lot of jackfruit trees in seven unions of the upazila, including the municipal area. Some farmers also have jackfruit orchards. The number of jackfruit trees in Ishwardi is increasing every year. Jackfruit cultivation is highest in Sahapur and Salimpur Unions of the upazila. This year, jackfruit has been cultivated on 160 hectares of land in the upazila.
Ishwardi's jackfruit is popular all over the country. The jackfruit here is sweet and delicious. The biggest wholesale market for jackfruit produced here is Joynagar Boardghor in Salimpur. Jackfruit produced in different areas of the upazila is brought to this Boardghor for sale.
Wholesale jackfruits have been bought and sold here for more than two decades. Outside the upazila, farmers also come from Pabna, Tebunia of Atghari and Bheramara of Kushtia to sell jackfruits at the Boardghor market.
Apart from Boardghor, jackfruit is bought and sold in Aotapara Hat, Baroichara, Dashuria and Muladuli in Sahapur of the upazila. There are several places in Joynagar Boardghor area to sell jackfruits to the wholesale buyers of different parts of the country. Trucks, vans, pick-ups, rickshaws and CNG-powered auto-rickshaws bring jackfruits here in the open spaces. Jackfruits are bought and stocked for wholesalers on a temporary basis. Jackfruits are bought and sold there from morning to night for a month.
Farmers and retailers have brought jackfruits to the Boardghor market by small, medium to large vans while someone else brought the fruit by Nasimon. A farmer named Zainal Pramanik of Sahapur sold 17 jackfruits of small and big size to a wholesale buyer at Tk 1,100. A fruit trader named Mujibur Rahman of Khulna bought 25 jackfruits of small and large sizes at Tk 1,375. He said that more than 2,000 jackfruits are bought from here in a day. Later, he will take the fruit to Khulna and sell them at a higher price. He said that the price of jackfruit in Khulna is high, if he buys and sells jackfruit from here, he will make a profit.
Wholeseller Abur Ali said for more than two decades, Joynagar Boardghor is known for selling jackfruit during the season. Thousands of jackfruits are sold here every day during jackfruit season. From the beginning of June to July, jackfruit trade is going on there. Each jackfruit is sold for Tk 50 to Tk 130 depending on the size. Jackfruit wholesalers buy the fruits worth lakhs of taka from there every day and take them to other places for sale.
Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer Mita Sarkar said the soil of Ishwardi is suitable for growing jackfruit trees and producing jackfruit. Jackfruit is produced on 160 hectares of land in the municipal area and seven unions of the upazila. She said compared to other areas of the country, Ishwardi's jackfruit is very tasty. Farmers here are making profit by selling jackfruit.
